Gen I think your mother is engaged in the classic "I won't let you go, but since it's illegal to handcuff you to the door knob, I'll stamp my foot and sulk" thing. It's really hard being an adult and living at home. I'm older than you, but when I walk through mum's door I might as well be 15 again . And it does bring those old issues to the surface.

Have you worked through the stuff about being bullied at school? Are you feeling any more positive?

Lindor, you're quiet. Weekends in here are not the same without your mellifluous updates… You OK?

Vonni glad to see you back safe and sound, and congratulations on exercising all that self-control. I'm proud of you . How's your sister?

Now Kel - what challenge are you suggesting? Water? Exercise? I can't keep up . Here's one to think about: I challenge EVERYONE to take 20 minutes every day to nurture ourselves. Whether that means getting a foot massage, writing in a journal, being quiet and listening to some favourite music, reading a book, looking at the stars at night… doesn't matter what it is. Just do it!

Amy I am a fan of being consistent with my measuring tools - whether it's scales, tape measure or anything else. I weigh myself every morning (naked and after I've been to the toilet), and keep a spreadsheet of my progress. But I only "officially" report my weight on Monday mornings. My weight fluctuates daily, depending on weather, fluid, food weight, exercise, stress, how much sleep I've had, TOM - and anything else that changes it.

Don't get too emotionally attached to those daily fluctuations - it's the pattern you're looking for. I measure myself every three weeks - again, first thing in the morning.

Barb have you got a plan for this week?

I met most goals yesterday - ate 1450 cals, drank 2.8L of water and walked 6km. And since tomorrow is my official weigh-in day I intend to work hard today to reach my goals too.

Anyone heard from Kylie?


Ani

well i suggested water but everyone seems so sure they are on top of the water thing and everyone seems to have excuses why they cant fit in 30 mins of exercise every day,
us with kids surely have someone that can "watch them" for 30 mins, i even have to pay for the priveledge at the gym to get 30 mins exercise somedays, but i am also lucky i can just stick her in the pram and go for a walk with the dogs before hubby gets home
i do like the self nurturing challenge.... that would be good ..... i have to get off the computer, even thinking about turning it off, i think it has an off switch........ 20mins of self nurturing would mean reflection on the day and what i have done or not done, this could or could not be a good thing but i guess admitting i had not managed to do something one day will make me more determined to ddo it the next

i have had 2 bottles of water today and a pepsi max, last night i had wine and vodka cruisers so i need more more more water today i guess and last night even though i got home at about 1.30am i still did 5 mins of stuff before i went to bed (sorted out the clean and dry washing and stuff) AND found jemima's bottle and washed it out and put it in the fridge (she prefers it cold)

heheh vonni it is not the red cordial it is just me getting excited.... the doc has said NOW is the time when a lot of ladies fall pregnant jemima is only having one and a half feeds a day so i am excited about thinking that all the trying that benji and i are doing COULD actually make a baby AND that i have been doing so well with the weight loss, not TOO fast but noticible and fitting into some old clothes, a little more pride in stuff and also realising i have been a lazy bum and can do more around the house, TODAY i used the edger (old fashion hard work one) and so the front yard looks a treat i have not done that since before i was pregnant so it was a big job!!! but yippee for incidental exercise too

who has had 2L of water today??? REALLY???

oh and gen remember it is all a matter of perspective.... i dont think you are as bad as you seem to think you are but other people may think you are evil... and some may think you are angel.... how other people see you is quite often a reflection on how they see themselves, but i guess you may have worked through that to do with the bullying, the whole tall poppy thing.
i think that you have decided to work on what kind of person you are is a wonderful thing for you for 2008, i am doing the same thing, but i keep muckihng it up by swearing and yelling at my loved ones coz i am getting stressed around the baby all day........ everyday....... but she is awesome so i am very lucky and the more i realise this again the more fun i am having or the more little things i accomplish for myself and family each day the more i want to try harder and being a better person.
and reverse situation is what i tell myself, if i was that checkout chick would i really want to be spoken to like that??? whos fault is it really??

oh i probably should say i got to see what i was really like recently coz i met someone who is basically ME very weird, we are exactly the same in personality and in beliefs and in ethic so we have become very good friends but seeing what i am like has made me want to be different

Hey Hey Hey

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. Mine was ultra lazy, especially yesterday when I stayed in bed watching telly and sleeping until 3pm! Happy days

I had a great night on Saturday. A good friend of mine had her birthday during the first week of January and everyone hit the booze and went out on the town for the evening. With my drinking battles, I chose not to go and we arranged a dinner date instead.

So on Saturday we went to a local pub and had a lovely dinner. I had 1 drink with dinner. After that, we went to meet a couple of people at another bar and I had 1 drink there over a period of about 3 hours. From there we went to another bar and I had 1 drink there over a period of about another 2-3 hours.

I drove home at around midnight, totally sober and having had a really nice evening. I'm so proud of myself!! My friend text me yesterday to say that she was really proud of me and how well I'd done. It's a great feeling and I'm looking forward to keeping it up.

Anyway, back to the point. As last week wasn't great food and exercise wise, these are my goals for this week:

1) Eat a balanced diet each day
2) Go to the gym Monday - Friday between my 2 jobs
3) Drink lots of water on the weekend as well as weekdays!

Getting very close to 80kg… I dropped 1kg this week .

As this will be my first week of unemployment for about ten years I'm not sure what my plans are. I need to apply for jobs, do some stuff to wind up my business and continue packing.

My weight loss goals are:

• Eat <1600 cals/day;
• Drink 2L of water/day;
• Do 10,000 steps/day; and
• Do at least 3 weights/resistance workouts this week.

Julia what an awesome achievement - I'm proud of you !

Mellifluous? Really? Hmmmm...

I don't know Ani, I seem to be struggling with words at the moment. I just want to shut myself away and be forgotten about for a while. I am OK however, so don't worry, I just get like this sometimes

Well done on the 1kg drop! You had a life changing decision to make last week, so I think that is a great result!

Julia! Great work too! Sounds like you had a good time over the weekend!

Gen, I am with the rest of them, you are a good egg! And at the top of my list of likes about you is your wicked sense of humour! Self analysis can be a dangerous thing sometimes, and it can take us to some very dark places. So, I think we can all do with working towards Ani's challenge to take 20 minutes every day to nurture ourselves!

Vonni, welcome home! And well done for staying on track! I am away for the week from tomorrow, so I have to get my head in order for that! I managed it last time, so I can do it again right?

Renny Sue, welcome to the West!! I am well north of the river, but occasionally work gets me closer! It's good to have you back here and sounding determined!

Weigh in this morning brought me down 2.4lb to 190.0lb! Which I am happy with because it takes me from obese to just overweight!

I am planning to stick to the 1500cal a day again this week! I will try with the water, but I have to admit I tend to go for the diet coke over the water on these trips away! Exercise...well, hmmm.

Ok, loads of domestics to do before tomorrow! Good luck to all else who weigh in today!

1kg down for me - 94.5kg. It's a start It's also been TTOM so probably will lose more this next week.

Well done on the kg Ani! And on the restraint, Julia! A carrot for you both

that is great news Kel i think lol.. you sure you want 2 in nappies??? lol my two are 4 years apart ( i don't recommend 4 years apart because of the hard newborn and kindy kis saga but , they are fast friends and love each other to death . lol my sister and i only 18 months apart and have hated each other out whole lives lol. i reckon 2 to 3 years difference is good for everyones sanity and fast friendship between your kids. It lets the first one be the baby while they still are babies and as they think they are big kids from about 2 they like to be little helpers for mummy when baby does come.. lol but well this is just my opinion so take it how you like lol..

Ani i bet you feel a little bit of relief and a bit a sadness with ending your business.. but now you have a whole world of opportunity awaiting you and jobs over i WA at the moment are plentiful according to the news grats on the kilo too

I have stopped being a dumbazz and looked at myself a bit more closely .. lol i started at 131.8 kg and I'm now 125.5. even with the weight gain of 2 pounds i still was 125.9 so I'm not gonna cry lol , i will just stop being stupid.. i have lost the extra at my bust again too lol i must have been ovulating or something when i last measured cause now they are down 7 cm lol and i have lost another inch off my waist .. my last measurement were done on the 18th .. so I'm happy enough . and I'm gonna stop obsessing about pounds.. lol they are over rated lol.. kilos seem to put it in better perspective some how lol.. 2 pounds is not a whole kilo lol.. I'm gonna keep better records and stop being such a fuss pot.. i promise lol...

I had a lazy dog week end. i was feeling so down at the end of last week . i just wanted to have the weekend off and i did i stayed with in my calories though i wasn't stupid but we had hot dogs for dinner last night and i still managed to stay with in my calories lol so no harm no foul.

We finally went and saw I am Legend , yesterday and dumped the kids off to johns mums for a couple of hours . we were both happy and relaxed, not having the kids with us. John being John made a huge and very realistic fart noise.. I could have died from laughing and embarrassment. luckily there was hardly anyone in the theater but it was still funny as **** . We were acting like a pair of teenagers in the movie theater i swear.. lol It nice sometimes when you can let loose and be silly . No kids around.

I felt rather bloated after tea last night and spent about 1/2 hour on the swiss ball doing easy exercises just to make me feel better .. but i wouldn't call it a work out by any means.. it just made me feel better .
Anyway new week new attitude .. no more beating myself up for stupid little pounds lol..

Congratulations Ani and Kel, awesome results

Well, yesterday was a perfect day for me. My diet was great and I had a good session at the gym.

Goal for today is to keep up my good diet. No junk food!

Back on the weekend!

Take care, and be good!

go Gen and Ani
julia you are in the zone too! this is so cool - everyone in the zone

i took a 'break' from hardcore optifast on the weekend, unless KFC is on the lisst of allowed foods and somehow i have missed it (there beside musk sticks and fudge)
so this week i will be very happy to have maintained, i feel i did not over do the indulgence and ate sensibly in the sense that i think i ate what i would be able to eat to maintain my goal weight WHICH i believe is the aim of this game - enjoy and fluctuate 2kg up and down now and then

tonight i am going to the movies with two gfriends NO babies NO husbands we are seeing Juno and having popcorn and dinner (i am hoping like **** there is some over the top salad or vege thing on the menu dont know what will be open but bet i end up eating chicken of some description) since i NEVER go out i am going to enjoy but not forget my goal of maintaining this week but will enjoy feeling normal
it is not normal to have to THINK about every thing i put in my mouth or how many calories my work out may have burnt so i am feeling good that i am NOT thinking about it lately coz my body tells me where i am at....

HOOOORRAAYYY the kids are back at school . My house is quiet and leah is sulking.... She comes up to me whining every now and then ... I want my Cameron.. but I made her walk to and from school 20 minutes each way and she is very quiet now .. maybe she is asleep lol .. Aren't i mean making a 3 year old walk to and from school lol... hehehehe.. my plan worked a treat.. wear her out to keep he quiet .

I was bad this morning i dint have breakfast before i went out just an ice coffee lol.. I am never hungry school mornings and i still aren't but i did just have a john west tuna to go .. so that will be breakfast today lol.. i know i know .. i should est breaky lol.. does the milk count ??? lol.

I'm gonna clean my house today top to bottom .. that will be my workout.. it hasn't had a decent clean since Christmas.. and by that i mean windows outside cobwebs etc etc .. will be nice to have a clean house again..

I'm glad you're back on track kiwi and enjoying the gym again.Kel you might find your less hungry with out the silly optifast stuff lol

OK I'm off to get my cleaners out ..

I went for a walk this morning!

Good for you Barb! Amy, hope you enjoy the serenity

My foot is killing me, boo hiss. Got a PT appointment tonight, so hopefully she'll do some weights instead of hammering me at cardio.

Work sent my paperwork via UPS, so sitting around waiting for it to arrive today or tomorrow.